NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN91LA086
Registry · N44970
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY N3N-3
Year of manufacture
1940 · 51 years old at event
Engine
P&W R-985 SERIES (450 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20031231
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A56F72
Registrant of record
BIBBER EUGENE A
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. FACTORS WERE: A CROSSWIND CONDITION AND A SOFT SHOULDER ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT AND HIS BROTHER WERE FERRYING THE NEWLY RESTORED AIRPLANE FROM CALIFORNIA TO GEORGIA. THEY DEPARTED TUCSON, AZ, AND WERE LANDING AT DEMING, NM, FOR FUEL. THE TETRAHEDRON WAS POINTING TO THE NORTH AND THE PILOT OBSERVED TRAFFIC LANDING ON RUNWAY 4. THE PILOT SAID AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE AIRPLANE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND THE TAIL STARTED TO COME UP 'AS IF A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND HAD PICKED IT UP AND PUSHED IT IN THAT DIRECTION.' THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH OPPOSITE RUDDER BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO SOFT DIRT AND OVERTURNED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1991_DEN91LA086.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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